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While the California gubernatorial election and Menlo Park ballot measure may be front of mind for residents preparing for the 2026 midterm elections, several seats on local school boards will also go before voters on Nov. 3.
In preparation for the upcoming election season, The Almanac contacted school board incumbents whose seats are up for election to ask whether they plan to run. Some longtime local elected officials, like Menlo Park City School District Board member Scott Saywell, announced they would not seek reelection.
After a rough few years for the Sequoia Union High School District and a recall effort targeting board members not up for reelection, both incumbents have filed to seek reelection. In addition to the election, the Las Lomitas Elementary School District is seeking to appoint a resident to the board to fill Board member Paige Winikoff’s seat after she resigned because she moved out of the district.
No member of the Woodside Elementary School District board up for reelection responded to The Almanac’s inquiries or filed paperwork with the San Mateo County Elections Office.
Candidates seeking to challenge an incumbent have until Aug. 7 to file nomination paperwork; the deadline extends to Aug. 12 if no incumbents seek reelection. The filing period opened on July 13.
See more information on each race below:
Sequoia Union High School District
As all of their colleagues face a recall effort, the two incumbents are seeking reelection to the Sequoia Union High School District board. Trustee Amy Koo represents Area A, which includes Redwood Shores and parts of Belmont, San Carlos and Redwood City. Trustee Sathvik Nori represents Area D, which includes parts of Menlo Park, Atherton and Redwood City.
Both Koo and Nori have filed for reelection. On her campaign site, Koo said she wants to focus on improving communication, teacher recruitment, fiscal stability and safety. Nori did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Local parent and advocate for honors courses Michael Dekshenieks has qualified for the ballot to challenge Nori.
The past few years have been challenging for the Sequoia Union High School District. The board voted earlier this year to shutter TIDE Academy due to budgetary challenges just six years after it built a $50 million campus in Menlo Park for the school earlier this year. The district also paid a $325,000 settlement to Jewish students and agreed to implement new policies after they alleged discrimination and a hostile environment.
Las Lomitas Elementary School District
Two incumbents are seeking reelection to the Las Lomitas Elementary School District board while another resigned after moving out of the district. Board members Gautam Nadella and Heather Hopkins have filed to seek reelection whereas Paige Winikoff resigned on July 15.
“I’m running for reelection because I want to keep working with our community to make decisions that help every student thrive,” Hopkins said in an email. Nadella declined to comment.
In the meantime, the district is looking to appoint a community member to fill Winikoff’s seat until voters can pick her replacement. The application packet is available on the district’s website and the deadline to submit it Aug. 19.
Menlo Park City School District
Board members Jed Scolnick and Sherwin Chen are seeking reelection to the Menlo Park City School District board but Scott Saywell said he will not after serving two terms on the board.
“Both of my children are now in high school,” Saywell said in an email. “I think it is a good time for me to roll off and make room for someone to come on with fresh ideas and, ideally, with kids in the district.”
Scolnick said he is running for reelection to provide steady leadership. “Our district is in great shape right now,” he said in an email. “I want to ensure we keep building seamlessly on our recent successes.”
Chen also said he was running to keep building on the district’s reputation for academic success, fiscal responsibility and community partnership.
Portola Valley Elementary School District
Board member Aimee Armsby filed to run for reelection to the Portola Valley Elementary School District board. Robert Kang-Xing Jin, who was appointed to the board in November 2025, has qualified and said he would seek election to the board. Armsby did not respond to requests from this news organization.
Woodside Elementary School District
All three incumbents up for reelection to the Woodside Elementary School District board did not respond to repeated inquiries from this news organization about their plans for the November election. The terms of Board members Jenny Hayden, Amanda Peiffer and Brett Westervelt expire in January 2027.
Almanac reporter Jennifer Yoshikoshi contributed to this report.
